Twitch

Twitch is a live streaming tool, whether you are watching or streaming, it is anywhere, anytime. The digital broadcast that is worldwide is the most useful thing about this tool for an arts organization, which can be viewed directly through their website or the Twitch app which is available for many devices such as iOS and Android devices, Xbox 360 and Xbox One video game consoles, Sony’s PlayStation 3 and 4, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chrome Cast and more.

Twitch is free when you follow streamers but if you would like to subscribe to a streamer you are supporting that Twitch channel financially with regular monthly donations. Users with a Twitch Prime membership are given an ad-free experience on Twitch, free digital downloadable content, video game discounts, and a free subscription which they can use on any Twitch Partner’s channel as a way to support them. The three tiers for Twitch subscriptions are $4.99, $9.99 and $24.99. Subscriptions can be paid monthly or in payments for every three or six months. It just depends on how much (financially) you would like to support the partnered streamer/channel. They give fifty percent to the streamer, but as you get bigger, that percentage can move up.

The fairly new creative category for Twitch is perfect for any arts organization. Twitch started and thrived entirely gaming focused but, when Twitch first launched their creative category, they streamed 400 episodes of Bob Ross painting program episodes in a row, it was big hit (and still is). In response Twitch streamers are able to stream their own bob ross inspired painting (live). This program invited them to not only enjoy but participate and paint along. Twitch has a creative section on the site that allows creative communities to come together. Creating a social and digital world for the creatives through streaming to their very own audience. This creative community can inspire your organizations followers to create, learn or even just sit back and enjoy, all a part of the arts experience. Through Twitch whether you yourself area creative or not, this allows your arts organizations audience/community to discover and find other creatives/crafts/content and even communities.

Creators and communities can connect, and money can also be made for an organization through Twitch. Think outside the box, any performance or artists an arts organization would like to feature.

Keep the users/community engaged with Bits (Twitch’s premium emoticons, sound effects and graphics that you can purchase 100 for1$, you can use these in the chat messages, the streamer sets the amount a user can use at a time so it doesn’t spam the chat section. Users get badges depending on how many bits they have donated.)

Donations for your arts organization (you can connect a third party like Patreon or PayPal account to your organizations channel)